Plain Chachalaca vs Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
Ortalis vetula compared with Ortalis wagleri
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Plain Chachalaca | Rufous-bellied Chachalaca |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ortalis vetula | Ortalis wagleri |
| Order | Galliformes | Galliformes |
| Family | Cracidae | Cracidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | — | — |
| Wingspan | 39.6 cm (15.6 in) | 48.3 cm (19.0 in) |
| Weight | 559.3333333333334 g (19.73 oz) | 834.0 g (29.42 oz) |
| Diet | Feeds primarily on fruits, berries, leaves, and flowers in scrub and forest edges. Also takes … | Feeds on fruits, berries, seeds, leaves, and small invertebrates in Mexican thorn scrub and deciduous … |
| Clutch Size | 2-4 | 3 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Habitat Comparison
Song & Call Comparison
Plain Chachalaca
Groups produce a raucous, rhythmic cha-cha-LAC chorus at dawn; individual calls are loud, raspy croaking notes. Flocks create a deafening cacophony in Texas brush country and Mexican deciduous forest.
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
Produces a loud, deep raucous chorus; the lowest-pitched Ortalis chachalaca call. The deep, resonant cha-cha-LAC booms across Mexican Pacific slope deciduous forest at dawn.
Geographic Range & Migration
Plain Chachalaca
Resident from southern Texas south through eastern Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica. Found in brushy woodland and forest edges.
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
Endemic to the Pacific coast of western Mexico from Sinaloa to Colima. Found in tropical dry forest and thorn scrub.
Conservation Status
Plain Chachalaca
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
How to Tell Them Apart
Plain Chachalaca
Olive-brown above with greenish gloss on wings; grey head; bare red throat skin; underparts pale olive-grey; tail long, dark greenish-brown with white-tipped outer feathers.
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
Olive-brown above; head grey with bare reddish throat; underparts strongly washed rufous-buff becoming deep rufous on belly and flanks; graduated tail dark brown with pale-tipped outer feathers.
About These Birds
Plain Chachalaca
A medium-sized cracid (~560 g) of family Cracidae, olive-brown with a bare red throat patch. Inhabits thickets, forest edges, and riparian woodlands from southern Texas through Mexico to Costa Rica. Social and noisy, roosting and foraging in groups on fruits, leaves, and seeds. Least Concern; extremely vocal at dawn with a raucous "cha-cha-lac" call.
Rufous-bellied Chachalaca
A larger chachalaca (~834 g) of family Cracidae, with a rufous wash on the underparts. Endemic to the Pacific slope of northwestern Mexico, from Sonora to Jalisco. Inhabits tropical dry forest, thorn scrub, and deciduous woodland. Forages in groups on fruits, seeds, and insects. Least Concern; range restricted to the Mexican Pacific coast but populations remain stable.